CHAPTER 1

Estelle's POV

(WARNING!!!: SUIC3D3)

I looked at the village that I had lived in all of my life as it gets covered by the burning fire that was sent by the people from another kingdom. My knees are on the ground. I wasn't even able to move. I had nothing to worry about. I didn't have parents. Nor did I have siblings. My friends were all dead and all I could see now is the red flame from someone's magic burning the beautiful place.

The most peaceful place in this world that I have ever been to. the only place that I had felt comfortable in.

When I look around, all that I could see it the people laying on the ground. Lifeless.

They were my friends. They were the people I used to talk to every day. The people who gave me food, the people who sheltered me when I was dumped out in nowhere. The people who made me think life is good and I must enjoy it while I am here.

The people whom I treasure because I never really had anybody else. Are burning along with the houses that we have built along with our relationships.

I let tears escape from my eyes. I couldn't even cry more. I cannot shout even though the pain was hurting me inside. I felt my energy leave my body as I sat entirely on the ground looking at the whole place burning up.

Can I save them? Can I heal all of them? Should I try? But when I looked at their faces, all I could see are lifeless eyes.

I couldn't even sense any life around me right now.

I had only left for 3 hours and when I came back, all I was able to see are lifeless bodies and fire magic eating the whole village.

Why did this happen? Why does this have to happen? Why does it have to be me? The one who had witnessed the burning of the corpse and the whole entire village? I should've just died. I shouldn't have left. I should've just stayed and died with them.

But here I am. Not able to speak about the pain I have inside.

Should I just kill myself and join them?

I wasn't even able to think about it thoroughly. I stood up slowly and looked at the burning fire. I was standing there for minutes and I had decided that I should just leave my life since I no longer have any reason to strive.

I walked slowly towards the scorching heat in front of me.

No tears. Just determined to die and join my friends who had lost their lives without doing anything wrong. The guilt of letting that happen hurt more than my hand touching the fire.

But the pain I felt in my hand didn't last long. Someone pulled it. My eyes widened. I looked at the person standing beside me. I was wishing it could be a survivor from the village. My feelings were lit up by the presence of one person. But when I realized that it wasn't anybody I knew, I was down again.

But wasn't disappointed because I finally had somebody to end me.

I looked at the sleeve on my clothes that he had pulled. The fire was no longer eating it. I looked up to him. Clueless about why he wasn't doing anything. I thought he was one of the people who have killed the villagers and burned the village. But he looked at me expressionlessly.

"Kill me," I asked him. It was the very first word that I said after coming back to the village and seeing this. "Please," I cried as I plead with him. I stepped closer to him and grabbed his hand. "Please," I pleaded.

He didn't move. He was stiffened. I was thinking that he was offended because a dirty person like me, covered in dust and dirt, just touched his hand. I looked up at him and saw the surprised expression on his face.

"Please,"

But instead of killing me, he slowly touched my hand instead. His hands were shaking and I don't even understand the look on his face.

"Please," I said again. I waited for him to do something but he looked like he doesn't want to. When I realized that, I grabbed my hand away from him, and with my barefoot, I ran towards the fire with an empty mind.

I want peace. And only death could give that to me.

I felt the heat all over my body. But I wasn't screaming. I was happy. Not until someone pulled me and I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes, all I could feel was emptiness. Even before I could remember what had happened. I gasped for air carefully as if I was afraid that someone might hear me.

The fire in the village. The villagers.

And tears followed along with my feelings and my heart shattering.

I have never been weak. I rarely even cry. And that is because I have the people in the village. They bring me up every time I was down. And now that they're gone, I no longer have the reason to remain happy.

If I don't die, I will just remain sad all my life. It was better if I died. But I didn't. And now I have to suffer for all the things that have happened. The guilt of being the one who survived instead of those good souls.

I put my arm on my face and cried.

"You're awake," suddenly, A soft voice came out of nowhere. I looked up and I saw a woman dressed in a black and white outfit. She was wearing a white long-sleeved dress under a black pinafore. And she had a weird accessory on her head. And that smile caught most of my attention. She looked like someone I knew.

I don't know why she was smiling when I am here crying. "Are you all right?" she asked me.

Obviously not, but I didn't answer and just wiped the tears off my face.

I traveled the whole place with my own eyes. It was a huge room. Most things inside were things that I have never seen before. I've never seen a curtain this big. A bed this huge and a bookshelf that stands on par with the houses in the village.

That was when I wondered where I was. "Honey, you're in the palace," she told me. I sat on the bed and looked around. There is nothing familiar about this place. I have never been to a palace. What was I even doing in a palace? She walked closer to me and gently touched my hair. She pushed my hair back and caressed the top of my head. I couldn't help but look up to her and wonder how this feels oddly comfortable.

It was comfortable that I could just close my eyes right now.

"I have to go somewhere, can you stay in here?" she asked me. I didn't answer and just looked at her. But she smiled even wider and left. She must've thought that it was a 'yes'. I went out of the huge bed and found slippers on the floor. But I didn't wear them.

I just went to look outside the huge window. And found an unfamiliar place. I am in a very tall building. So tall that people looked like peanuts from this height. I tried to remember what happened. That guy pulled me out of the fire. And I passed out.

I don't even know how I managed to get here. I looked at my hand. There was no scar. Of course., my body regenerates wounds rapidly. In just a few minutes, a burn would disappear from my body. This is something that I have proven and tested. That is why I do not have any scars on my body.

I looked at the clothes and wondered who changed me. And I looked at the glass on the window and saw myself being clean. Someone might've cleaned my body though I didn't know who it was. I don't know if I should be thankful or not.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming from the very huge door. I immediately ran and jumped onto the bed. Shortly after, the door opened and revealed a familiar face. It was the guy. The guy from last night.

His tall and huge physics walking toward me expressionlessly made me want to disappear. I was scared that he might hurt me. I didn't even notice that he was this big when I first saw him. I just looked up to him as he look at me from head to toe. Though most of my legs are hidden under the blanket.

I heard the door close and I didn't notice who closed it. But all I could think right now is that he was the only person in the room. With me.

"What am I doing here?" I asked him. He saved me from the fire though I wanted to be killed by it. I wasn't planning on thanking him for ruining my attempt to die.

"I need something from you," he said. And I gulped.

I don't have any idea what it could be. He isn't giving me anything. His face shows nothing. I don't know if I did something wrong or what. I looked at him as he pull a chair beside the bed I was sitting on. I was just about to ask him what he was doing here when,

"I want you to touch me," he said,

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

It was strange for him to ask me to touch him. "I want you to touch me with your hand," and it somehow sounded like a command. This person cannot be taken lightly. I want to ask him if he was planning something bad but I couldn't. One sweep from this guy and I'd get hurt.

But I could take that as an advantage. If he'd kill me right now, I'd be free.

But something in me was trying to convince me to just do what he just said.

I looked at his red eyes that fit perfectly with his eyebrows and black hair. And his lips that doesn't look like it was applied by something. I could tell this man how gorgeous he was right now. And the fit in his clothes. he certainly doesn't look like everyone I know. And I never expected I would be able to meet this kind of person.

I slowly raised my hand to touch his face. And I just noticed how my hand was slightly shaking. His eyes were on my hand approaching his face and all I could see in those eyes is that he was looking forward to something.

My hands touched the skin on his cheek. And I saw a familiar reaction again. he was stiffened. As if he was never touched like this before. I couldn't help but give him a questioning look. But he was too busy. He was occupied by my touch.

I noticed him raise his hand slowly. I looked at it. It wasn't the first time as far as I can remember but when he touched my hand touching his cheek, I felt a strange feeling in my stomach that I have never felt before. My eyes widened a little bit because of the strange feeling.

His huge palm covered mine in no time. The feeling in my stomach worsened when he closed his eyes and pushed his face more onto my hand. I cannot understand the feeling. It was something that I have never felt before. A mixture of thrill, excitement, and pleasure.

Especially when he moves my hand a little bit away from his cheek and his lips touched my palm.

What is wrong with him? what is this strange feeling?

"I want you," he whispered.